Lake Forest College Sports Information
February 11, 2004
Contact: Mike Wajerski, SID

Foresters Clinch Seventh Straight MWC Championship Tournament Berth
Clerkin’s double-double leads team to victory over Illinois College

 Clerkin leads the MWC with eight double-doubles.
LAKE FOREST, IL - The Lake Forest College women’s basketball team recorded its tenth Midwest Conference victory of the year, a 62-53 defeat of Illinois College Wednesday (February 11) night. The win improved the Foresters’ overall record to 14-7 and league mark to 10-4 while the Lady Blues fell to 5-15 overall and 3-10 in the league.

Forward Shannon Clerkin (Barneveld, WI/Barneveld) led Lake Forest with her league-best eighth double-double of the year. The junior shot 7-of-9 from the floor and made one of two free throws to finish with a team-high 15 points. She also grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, including five on the offensive end. Clerkin is shooting 59.1% this year from the field and is averaging 15 points and 8.4 boards per game, securing the team lead in all three categories.

Senior Sherry Wagner (Chicago, IL/Mother McAuley) and junior Kandyce Green (Chicago, IL/Marian Catholic) also reached double figures in scoring. Both guards tallied 13 points and three steals. The two accounted for all three of the Foresters’ three-point baskets, with Green hitting a pair and Wagner adding another early in the contest.

The Foresters finished the game shooting 41.3% from the field while Illinois College connected on only 33.3% of its field goals. The home team out-rebounded the visitors 43-33 and forced them into 27 turnovers while committing just 22.

In a first half that featured three ties and five lead changes, the home team took a 27-23 lead into the intermission. The Foresters built an early seven-point lead in the second half, but the Lady Blues stormed back to take a 39-38 advantage with 11:18 remaining in the contest. Lake Forest answered on its next offensive possession with a lay-up by Wagner to regain the one-point lead and would never trail again.

The win assured Lake Forest of its seventh consecutive trip to the conference championship tournament, which will be hosted by first-place Ripon College. After winning the championship three years in a row (2000-2002), the Foresters were the runners-up last year.

Lake Forest will honor its three seniors on Saturday afternoon (February 14) in the team’s final home game of the season. The Foresters will take on Grinnell College (15-6, 9-5 MWC) with tip-off scheduled for 1:00 pm. Lake Forest knocked off the Pioneers 81-56 on the road in December.

By Franklyn Beckford

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